Paul continues in Colossians 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Under the Old Testament law, circumcision was a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:11), whereby it was a sign and seal of the faith that they had in God (Romans 4:11). Physical circumcision also signified the sanctification of the heart (eg. Deuteronomy 10:16), whereby through it, one is “putting off the body of the sins of the flesh”. As they did so, they looked forward to the coming of Christ, where through His blood all their sins would be cleansed forever. Thus it was an ordinance that was only meant for the saints of the Old Testament. However, after the advent of Jesus Christ, some Jewish false teachers still insisted that one must be circumcised in order to be saved. In contrast, Paul tells us that we are circumcised by a different kind of circumcision, which is that of Christ. This is the circumcision of the heart as opposed to only the outward flesh or foreskin. This “circumcision made without hands” happens at the time of salvation, when Christ baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. Our old creature dies (“buried with him”), so that God will raise us up as new creatures sanctified by Christ, just as God first raised Christ. This spiritual baptism must not be confused with water baptism, which happens after salvation and is an outward sign of an inward faith. Water baptism is what Christians in the New Testament do to demonstrate the faith that they have in the Lord, and symbolize the purity that they have through Christ, and it parallels circumcision in the OT.

Dear teen, do you realize you do not have to obey your body’s sinful desires and lusts, because Christ has circumcised your heart? While you will not have any physical evidence of this circumcision because it is “made without hands”, if you have genuinely believed in Christ as your personal Saviour, then by faith you know this circumcision is there. Therefore live your life knowing you are a new creature, no longer a slave to the old nature, and when sin tempts you, remind yourself that Christ has circumcised you. Whilst you may not be physically circumcised, we have been spiritually cleansed by the blood of Christ, and thus we must remind ourselves daily that we are forever His, and must pursue sanctification, to be more like Christ each day.

Thought: How can I remind myself daily I am circumcised by Christ?Prayer: May I always remember I am circumcised by Christ.